Press Releases

Nov182015

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congressman Tom Rice (SC-07) today was appointed to the following Ways and Means Subcommittees by Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (TX-08): Subcommittee on Oversight; Subcommittee on Social Security; and Subcommittee on Human Resources.

“I am honored to be appointed to the Oversight, Social Security, and Human Resources Subcommittees, and eager to work towards limiting government overreach, reforming our broken welfare programs, and enacting serious tax reform,” said Rice.

“My focus in Congress has been on American Competitiveness and I think it starts with this Committee. I’m excited to work with Chairman Brady and my colleagues on Ways and Means, and will continue to fight for the needs of the Seventh District, the state of South Carolina, and our nation,” concluded Rice.

“I want to congratulate Congressman Rice on his appointment to our committee as he helps us advance Speaker Ryan’s pro-growth agenda. Tom is a proven legislator willing to tackle the big challenges facing our nation. His experience as a tax attorney, CPA, and successful businessman makes him uniquely qualified to help fix America’s broken tax code, replace the Affordable Care Act, and save Medicare and Social Security for the long term,” said Chairman Brady.

The House Committee on Ways and Means is the oldest committee of the United States Congress and is the chief tax-writing committee in the House of Representatives. The Committee exercises jurisdiction over revenue and related issues such as tariffs, reciprocal trade agreements and the bonded debt of the United States. Revenue-related aspects of the Social Security system, Medicare and social services programs also fall within the Ways and Means’ purview.

There has not been a South Carolinian on the Committee on Ways and Means since Representative Carroll Campbell, Jr. in 1986 (with the exception of Representative Tim Scott, who never served, as he was elected to the Senate).

The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Oversight includes all matters within the scope of the full Committee’s jurisdiction but shall be limited to existing law. Said oversight jurisdiction shall not be exclusive but shall be concurrent with that of the other Subcommittees. With respect to matters involving the Internal Revenue Code and other revenue issues, said concurrent jurisdiction shall be shared with the full Committee. Before undertaking any investigation or hearing, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight shall confer with the Chairman of the full Committee and the Chairman of any other Subcommittee having jurisdiction.

The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Social Security includes legislation and issues related to Social Security’s retirement, survivors and disability programs, the Railroad Retirement program, and employment taxes and trust fund operations relating to those programs, including title II of the Social Security Act, Chapter 22 of the Internal Revenue Code (the Railroad Retirement Tax Act), as well as provisions in title VII and title XI of the Act involving the Old Age and Survivors’ and Disability Insurance (OASDI) programs.

The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Human Resources includes bills and matters referred to the Committee on Ways and Means that relate to the public assistance provisions of the Social Security Act, including temporary assistance for needy families, child care, child and family services, child support, foster care, adoption, supplemental security income, social services, eligibility of welfare recipients for food stamps, and low-income energy assistance. More specifically, the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Human Resources includes bills and matters relating to titles I, IV, VI, X, XIV, XVI, XVII, XX and related provisions of titles VII and XI of the Social Security Act.

The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Human Resources also includes bills and matters referred to the Committee on Ways and Means that relate to the Federal-State system of unemployment compensation, and the financing thereof, including the programs for extended and emergency benefits. More specifically, the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Human Resources also includes all bills and matters pertaining to the programs of unemployment compensation under titles III, IX and XII of the Social Security Act, Chapters 23 and 23A of the Internal Revenue Code, and the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970, and provisions relating thereto.